Celia Joy
by AnabelleG
Summary: Follows the many adventures of Celia Joy Booth, better known as Cee Cee. Third in Special Agent Parker series.
1. Chapter 1

Brennan sat on the sofa, legs curled beneath her as she studied the case file on her lap. Yet she wasn't so focused that she could not hear the sound of small bare feet slapping against the hard wood floor. Looking up from her work, she immediately smiled at the sight of her daughter racing towards her, auburn curls bouncing and a question in her soft brown eyes.

Celia Joy came to a sudden stop when she reached the sofa, inertia almost carrying her into her mothers lap. Slightly out of breath, she paused for a moment before speaking.

"Mama, I need you to help me with somethin'.

Knowing from experience that Cee Cee would expect her full attention, Brennan closed the file and set it aside. Not the she minded. Given the chance…and with the spirited little girl's energy and curiosity she had been given many chances….she made the same choice each and every time.

"And what would that be, Miss Celia?"

"I need some tenners."

"Okay, I think we can manage that. But first you have to tell me what a tenner is."

CJ gave a little shake of her head at her mother's lack of understanding, and then with a little sigh climbed onto the couch. Placing a little hand on her mother's arm, she began to patiently explain the meaning and importance of tenners.

"Silly, Mama. You know what tenners are. Uncle Hodgie said I was cute as a bug. But bugs got tenners and I don't."

Brennan felt a mixture of amusement and maternal pride. It seemed that her daughter had inherited her difficulty with recognizing metaphors, but took her father's direct approach to solving a problem. If the metaphor didn't fit reality, then Cee Cee would just make reality meet the metaphor.

"Oh. I see. No antennae for a cute bug. That sounds like a serious problem."

Cee Cee nodded her head matter-of-factly, relieved that her mama was taking the situation seriously.

"Mmm-hmmm. But don't worry, Mama. I gotta plan to fix it."

After years of living with Parker and watching as he had passed along his passion for plans to his sister, Brennan was now well-schooled in the parental art of handling plans hatched in the minds of children. Unlike the early days, she was able to take this one in stride. At least this one wasn't about proposals or baby brothers.

"And I'm sure it is a very good plan too."

Hearing her mother's endorsement, the little girl's enthusiasm grew. She stood up on the sofa cushion, bouncing slightly as she pointed first to one side of her head and then the other.

"Yep. See you gotta help me put a piggy-tail here….and a piggy-tail over here. That'll be my tenners."

"Sounds like the perfect solution, Cee. Why don't you go pick out your barrettes and I will…"

"I already did that part, Mama. Parker says you gotta be 'pared if you're gonna have a plan."

Brennan could only shake her head in amusement as Cee Cee pulled a pair of purple butterfly barrettes from her pocket.

"Now can I have some tenners?"

Recognizing the impatience in her daughter's voice, Brennan took the barrettes from the small outstretched hand and smiled. After all, it really was a good plan.

"Of course, sweetheart."

"Maaaarrrccooooo!"

Parker rolled his eyes at the sound of his sister calling from the hallway. He was sorely tempted to ignore her, but knew it would not do any good. Ignoring Cee Cee was not something that ever turned out well. With one last longing look at the video game playing out on the screen, he hit the pause button and then called back..

"Poooloooo……ya' little twerp."

She bounded into the room, an indignant expression on her face.

"Dontcallmethat."

Seeing her getting riled up, an amused Parker couldn't resist teasing her just a little more. Reaching over, he tweaked her nose and winked at her.

"What should I call you then….Little Bit?"

Truly unamused, Cee Cee curled little fists at her waist and leaned in close to Parker.

"Un-huh. My name is CeliaJoyBooth and you better 'member that, buster."

"Oh, but you can call me buster, huh?"

"Yep. Cause I'm the LITTLE sister."

"Okay then LITTLE sister….now can I finish my video game?"

He turned to face the screen again, only to feel an impatient tug on his sleeve.

"But Paaarrker, I wanna play!"

Looking back at her pleading eyes, Parker knew that the game was over for now. He'd never been all that good at saying no to his baby sister. Even if she was a pain sometimes. And truthfully, though he would never admit it to anyone even under the threat of a lifetime ban from his X-box, he kinda had fun when she was around.

"What is it this time twer….Cee Cee? Tea party again?"

Smiling brightly now that she had her brother's full attention, Cee Cee sat next to her brother on the floor and crossed her legs.

"Nope. I 'cided tea parties are for girls."

"And you aren't a girl?"

"Some of the times. But today I'ma sweetpea."

"Who told you that?"

"My Daddy did…Now can we play?"

Parker couldn't resist one more teasing comment. After all…he couldn't make it too easy for her.

"Maybe later. Right now I wanna…."

"I'm gonna tell Mama you're playing that stupid game and she's gonna make do the FLASH-cards again!"

As she stood to leave the room, Parker realized that he may have pushed his luck too far. She wasn't above telling on him, and he dreaded the idea of another session with the flashcards. This week it was the periodic table.

"Wait….sweetpea. Ummm, what was it you wanted to play again?"

Turning back to him with a satisfied smile on her face, Cee Cee revealed her plan.

"Pirates. 'Member you told 'bout when you and Mama caught the pirate?"

"Uh, yeah….but first you gotta show me that you can be tough enough to go chasin' pirates."

Stumped, she had to think about it for a second. Parker was serious about the pirate game. Finally, she narrowed her eyes, wrinkled her nose and gave the loudest growl she could manage.

"Aaarrrgghh!"

Mock fear on his face, Parker leaned back and placed a hand to his chest.

"Whew, boy. That was pretty tough for a sweetpea!"

The little girl beamed with pride at her brother's words.

"Un-huh. I been practicin'. Now will you play pirates with me Parker...Pleeeeassee.?"

"Oh, alright….I guess you talked me into it."

Cee Cee gave a squeal of delight and wrapped her arms around her brother's neck.

"Parker you are my favoritest brother in the whole wide world."

Hearing her words brought a smile to Parker's face, and for a brief moment he dropped the big-brother bravado and placed a hand at her back, returning her hug.

But as much as big brothers may adore their little sisters, it is not always something that the express easily. So, after a moment, Parker leaned away from the hug and rolled his eyes at the look of hero-worship on his sister's face.

"Cee Cee….I'm your ONLY brother."

"Right now….but I wanna big brother AND a little brother. I just gotta think of a plan."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for the reviews! I plan to post each Tuesday, and I hope you continue to enjoy Cee Cee's adventures. This one is a small father-daughter moment for Booth and his sweetpea. -AnaG**

He watched as her little hands turned the plate and then half-heartedly picked up one of the cookies. A single bite, no milk dunk at all, and the cookie was back on the plate. Yeah, something was definitely wrong.

He'd thought something was up when he picked her up early from daycare. No arguing when he strapped her into her car seat. Not one word about sitting in the 'big people seats'. She didn't sing "Sally Ann the Camel" one time. No questions. Usually there was at least one humdinger of a question on the ride home. Why can't the sky be green some of the days. Didn't it get tired of being blue all of the time? Who got to decide if bugs got to fly or if they had to crawl in the dirt? Cause playing in the dirt was fun, but it wasn't fair that some of them never got to see what it was like to be in the air. She was so silent that he almost…almost… wished for the king daddy question of them all….where do babies come from?

Once they were home, he had even abandoned Brennan's regulation carrot sticks in favor of contraband chocolate chip cookies for snack time. He was willing to take the hit, if he could get her to smile. His Cee Cee was too quiet and he didn't like it one bit.

Kneeling down beside her chair, he brushed the curls from her forehead and was surprised by the real worry that he saw clouding her brown eyes.

"Cee Cee…is something wrong? You know that you can tell Da…"

Her response was so soft that he almost didn't hear it.

"Are you really sick, Daddy?"

"Oh, sweetpea…no, I'm not sick at all. Daddy is fit as a fiddle, healthy as a horse…"

His words trailed off as he noticed the confused look on her face. Definitely her mother's daughter. He picked her up and then sat down in the chair, holding her close.

"Daddy is fine, sweetheart. I promise, okay?"

"You don't have a fever?"

"Let me check…." He placed his hand over his forehead as if gauging his temperature. "Nope…no fever. Everything is fine, honey."

"Oh, okay then." As if by magic, the worry seemed to disappear from her eyes. She picked up the cookie and began to eat as if nothing had been bothering her.

Booth took a cookie of his own, but held it, unable to take a bite.

"Somethin' wrong, Daddy?"

"Umm…no, no, everything's fine. Cee…why did you think something was wrong with Daddy?"

"Oh, that. Well, me and Mama rode in the car to daycare with Auntie Ange and Kara this morning."

"Okay…." He waited patiently as she carefully dipped her cookie in the cup of milk.

"And me and Kara were playing pretend, but even when she was whisperin' I heard Auntie Ange tell Mama that you were still hot after all of the years. Uh-oh, Daddy…you dropped your cookie…"

A flustered Booth looked down at the broken cookie on the floor, but really didn't see it. What was he going to say to…

"….Cause when Parker had the flu buggy, he had a fever for three whole days. But she said you had been hot for yeeearrs. So I thought you might be really, really sick….

She paused to take another bite of her cookie and he thought he might finally be able to…

"But Daddy, you don't got a fever…..so what does hot mean then?"

"Umm, well sweetpea….let's just say….that it is a very grown-up way of saying that someone looks handsome."

"Oh.".

"But, Cee Cee,…promise Daddy that you won't ever use that word like that until you are…oh, about forty years old, okay?"

" 'Kay, Daddy. But that's a long time. Forty years old is reallllly old."

He blinked quickly, thinking of the number of candles on his last birthday cake.

"Well, it's not that…"

"Ooops. I almost forgot somethin'"

He looked down to find a little hand pressed against the center of his chest. He didn't even mind seeing the smear of chocolate on his white dress shirt. Celia Joy was back to her usual self and he couldn't wait to hear what…

"What is it, sweetpea….?"

"I'm checkin' on your heart now."

"But, Cee Cee, I told you that Daddy was okay…."

"I know. But after Aunt Angie said that you were ho…" Her eyes got big when she realized what she almost said.

"Sorry, Daddy….I mean, handsome…then after that Mama said that most special thing was that you had a big heart. So, I wanna check to make sure it's okay too.."

"Oh, she said that, hmmm?"

"Un-huh. And she was right too, Daddy.

She rested her head next to her hand, and he leaned back unable to speak for fear of bawling like a baby. All he could do was hold her a little closer, grateful for this moment with his little girl.

"Um…Daddy?"

"Yeah, Cee Cee?"

"Can I ask you somethin' else?"

"Anything, sweetpea."

"Nooow will you tell me where babies come from?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone for the reviews! I can't tell you how much it means that you are enjoying Cee-Cee's little adventures. Here is the next one--the first of several at the lab. A special thanks to Pyro for a certain mosquito related anecdote that originally sparked this chapter. Hope you enjoy!-AnaG**

Hodgins looked up from the slide he was examining, startled by the unusual sound of a child's giggle in the lab. He scanned the platform looking for the source, and couldn't help but smile when he spotted the little girl headed in his direction, auburn pigtails and the hem of her tiny blue lab coat flying behind her as she ran across the room.

"Hodgie, Hodgie….guess whose comin' to see you!"

Laughing, he bent down to pick up the pint-sized bundle of energy, settling her on his hip.

"Hmmm…I don't know. Who could it be?"

"Silly Hodgie…It's me!"

"Oh, I thought it might be Zach."

"Uh-unh….Zachaddy is helpin' Mama finish workin' on the bones. But I like him. He makes Daddy make these funny faces allllll the time!"

"Well that's because…."

His words trailed off as a very winded Booth made his way up the steps of the platform.

"Sorry, Hodgins…took my eyes off of her for just a second and…"

"Hey, man. No problem…Cee-Cee and I were just catching up."

"Cee-Cee…you aren't buggin' the Bug Man are you?"

"No, Daddy. I promise I was bein' real good. Right, Hodgie?"

"That's right, sweetheart. Really, Booth, she's no trouble. If you need to go help Brennan, I can keep an eye on her."

"No, I don't want to keep you from…."

"Oh, pleeeeassse, Daddy! Please, can I stay and look at the bugs and the slimy stuff?"

Booth paused for a second, torn between not wanting to encourage his little girl's obsession with the creepy crawlies and not being able to deny her when she looked at him with those wide brown eyes.

"Alright, sweetpea, but…." He turned to Hodgins "Nothing too squinty, okay?"

"Sure thing, Booth."

"I won't be squinty Daddy, I promise!"

A reluctant Booth gave in, and after a promise to return soon--not to mention a series of goodbye hugs and kisses from CJ--he turned towards his wife's office. As he walked away, he paused, listening as his daughter peppered Hodgins with questions.

"Can I see the furry spiders again? And did the catapealers turn into butterflies yet? Oh, wow…Hodgie…what's that green stuff in the big jar over there?"

He almost turned back to get her, but the sound of laughter reached him and he stopped. Because if being a squint made his baby girl happy...

Hodgins smiled as he watched the little girl holding the glass jar close to her face, entranced by the mass of black beetles crawling over the surface of the container. He had to admit he looked forward to her visits, to teaching her about bugs and slime. His own Cara was surprisingly patient when he rambled on, but he knew she much preferred the paint and charcoal in Angela's studio.

So it was nice to see the light in Cee-Cee's eyes as they examined jar after jar of insect specimens, to see how proud she was when he had let her sit at the microscope to look at….

His thoughts were interrupted by a short tug on his lab coat. He looked down to find her standing there holding the bug jar in one hand, the other curled into a tiny fist resting on her hip in a gesture that reminded him of her mother.

"Did you 'member to think about the bug name?"

"Oh, that's right! How could I forget? I was supposed to decide what kind of bug you are."

"Mm-hm. Cause you said I was cute as a bug, 'member?" She tugged at one of her pigtails, "See…I even got tenners!"

"Very nice….and how did you grow those so fast?"

"My mama made 'em for me! She did a real good job, didn't she?"

"She certainly did.Now let's see….what kinda of bug is Miss Cee-Cee? It's gotta be a special one."

"And it can't be a 'squito."

"No mosquito?"

"Can't be a 'squito, Hodgie…cause I'ma girl!"

"But Cee-Cee, there are millions of girl mosquitoes."

"Yeah, but 'member you tole me the girl ones are the kind that drink the blood when they bite you. And that's real yucky, so…"

"Oh, well now, that makes perfect sense. So, no mosquitoes. How about…a spider...let me check….nope, not enough legs….you have to have eight…"

She looked down at her feet, sighing heavily.

"Thatsa lot of legs….and I only got two…"

"Don't worry. You never seemed like the spider type to me anyway. In fact, Cee-Cee….I think you…are a ladybug!"

"A ladybug?" Cee-Cee paused to consider the idea. "Do they get to fly?"

"Sometimes. And you know…" He leaned forward as if sharing a great secret. "Some people say that seeing a ladybug is good luck--that it makes you happy."

"You really think when people see me it'll make 'em happy?"

Hodgins looked at the little girl that was still holding the jar of beetles in the crook of her arm like it was her favorite teddy bear…who, when she came to visit the lab, always wore the little blue lab coat he had given her for her birthday…and who loved bugs enough to be disappointed that she didn't have enough legs to be a spider.

"Yeah, ladybug…I really do."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: A heartfelt thanks to those that read Cee Cee's adventures, and yet another for the reviews! So sorry that I'm a day behind in posting. Things should be back on track next week, and in the meantime, hope that you enjoy this installment. --AnaG**

Zach was nervous. Very nervous. As nervous as--well, too nervous to put the effort into thinking of what the appropriate metaphor would be.

He looked over at the child sitting next to him on the sofa in Dr. Brennan's office, and breathed a sigh of relief to find that she was still occupied with the juice box Hodgins had left when he had been called away. Before today, whenever he was around Cee Cee, there had always been someone else around. Which was fine with him. He didn't understand little people any better than he understood big people.

The tiny comfort zone disappeared with the sound of a straw slurping the dregs from the bottom of the juice box. He watched apprehensively as Cee Cee sighed in satisfaction and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She slid from the couch, and crossed the room to put the empty container in the trash bin before returning to stand quietly in front of him. Snack time was over.

The two of them appraised each other in silence. Each tilted their head slightly to one side as they stared, as if pondering the nature of an alien creature that had suddenly appeared in their path.

Then Cee Cee giggled, which confused Zach even more.

"You're funny, Zachaddy."

"I'm…funny?" His forehead wrinkled as he struggled with the idea. He didn't think anyone had ever accused him of being funny before.

"Mmm-hmmm." Cee Cee replied matter-of-factly, as if it required no further explanation. Not understanding that she had just thrown Zach for a loop, she moved on.

"Can we play now?"

"Play?"

The child may as well have been speaking Klingon. Well, maybe not…he had a pretty decent grasp of….maybe Japanese. He hadn't learned how to speak that yet…

"…or duck the goose or old maid or crazy eights or…"

Zach took a deep breath and decided to give it a try.

"Chess?"

"I don't know how to play that one."

Cee Cee pressed forward without skipping a beat, intent on finding some game to occupy their time,

"Oh…I know! We can play hide an' seek!"

She clasped her hands in delight at her own idea, so excited that she was nearly bouncing right out of her baby pink converse sneakers.

"There's lotsa good places to hide at Mama's lab…me an' Cara, we always…"

Her chatter stopped abruptly, a look of real concern on her face as she heard the low growl of discomfort coming from Zach. She stepped closer, patting him on the shoulder.

"What's the matter, Zachaddy? You don't know how to play hide 'nd seek?"

"No. Yes. I mean, I know the rules. I used to play that with my brothers and sisters. I didn't like it very much."

Cee Cee edged even closer, curious as to how anyone in the world could not like to play hide and seek.

"How come?"

"They…..well, I hid. They didn't seek."

Stunned, Cee Cee took a step back, eyes wide in disbelief.

"You mean….they didn't look for you?"

"Mmmm. The last time I hid under the kitchen sink for two hours before I came out. They said they forgot."

For a second, he was lost in the memory…how excited he had been to be included only to be confused later as he exited the cabinet to find them eating cookies at the kitchen table.

When he returned to the present, he was greeted by the sight of one very incensed little girl, her pigtails practically vibrating with outrage at thought of someone being forgotten.

"That was real mean. They shouldn't have done that to you, Zachaddy. I'm gonna tell my Daddy and he's gonna go beat 'em up and put 'em in the jail and…"

Zach was stunned at how upset she was at something that had happened years ago. To him. He had to stop her, it made him feel….it made him feel. Which he handled about as well as he understood children.

"Um..Cee Cee? I'm okay. See?"

She stopped, staring with narrowed eyes at smile he had plastered on is face. Something about it didn't seem right to her, but in the end she decided to take him at his word. Reaching out, she used both hands to grab his, trying to pull him up from the sofa.

"Alright. Now let's go play. You can hide first, okay?"

Zach resisted, not sure that he would be able to handle anything more complicated than supervising juice consumption. And he really, really didn't like the idea of hiding in some dark and cramped….

The warmth of two small hands pressing against the sides of his face captured his attention, and he found himself looking into a pair of soft brown eyes.

"Don't be scared, Zachaddy….I promise I won't forget you."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Another little bit with Cee-Cee. This time, she's not exactly on her best behavior, apparently she has a little something a stubborn streak….really, wonder where she would have gotten that from? …lol….but anyway…..hope you enjoy! – Ana

* * *

**Brennan sat at one end of the table staring at the journal in front of her as she were completely absorbed in the latest advances in osteological research. She casually flipped to the next page, pretending that she didn't hear the relentless tapping of a small cowboy boot against the table leg or the heavy sighs coming from the opposite end of the table. Then came a tentative foray in the form of a small voice. 

"Mama?"

"Yes, Cee Cee?" She responded with looking up from the article.

"Can I go play now?"

"Did you eat all of your peas?"

"Some of them I did."

Brennan stood and walked to where her daughter was sitting, taking quick note of the nervous look in her brown eyes. A quick examination of Cee Cee's plate revealed that while it was possible that a pea or two may have actually made it into her mouth, most of the little girl's time had been spent artfully arranging her food to disguise that most of them were, in fact, still on her plate. With a mother's weary sigh, Brennan sat down in the closest chair.

This was just the latest battle in the vegetable wars with her daughter. If Cee Cee had her way, she would subsist on a diet consisting almost solely of chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, french fries, and orange popsicles. It had become a matter of vigilance to make sure the child had some fresh vegetables every night. Yesterday, she had picked up her daughter's plate to find a perfect circle of green beans hidden beneath the rim. The day before, Booth had caught her trying to scoop her carrots onto Parker's plate when he wasn't looking. They were really at their wits end when it came to….

Her musings were interrupted by a movement in her peripheral vision. She focused in time to see a head of auburn curls disappearing behind a now empty chair.

"Celia…Joy…Booth!"

The little girl froze in mid-step, still on her tip toes. Her shoulders slumped and she returned to her chair. She placed both of her hands flat on the table and then rested her chin on top of them. There was a pitifully drawn out sigh before she spoke.

"Do I hafta eat the peas?"

"Yes, Cee Cee. We've been over this bef.."

"But whyyyyy?"

"Because they have vitamins and minerals that keep little girls healthy and help them grow into…."

"But I can't eat 'em…I really, real-ly can't."

Brennan took a deep breath, gathering her patience and tried again.

"Yes you can…and you will…."

"But I can't because my Daddy said I was a sweetpea and if I eat 'em that would be like bein' a camnibal!"

The words rushed out of her mouth, running over each other as she talked. For a moment, Brennan was bewildered by her daughter's outburst.

"Sweetpea…camnibal…cannibal! Celia Joy! Where….where did you hear that word?"

She quickly looked around the room to make sure Booth was nowhere within earshot. The time he'd heard her talking about maggots had been bad enough….and now…god, had Cee Cee overheard her discussing her book with her editor? Was it one of the cases? She tried to be discreet when the children were…but there had been no cannibals lately….

Aware that she had successfully sidetracked her mother from the topic of vegetables, a look of triumph crossed the little girl's face.

"On the 'scovery Channel, Mama. They talked about it in the show 'bout the ants and how sometimes when they…"

The words faded into the background as Brennan held her head in her hands. A part of her was intensely proud of her daughter's cognitive skills, but there was another part that wondered if she was going to be the only parent in history that would have to use parental controls to block the Discovery Channel. Taking a deep breath, she scrambled to find a way to explain why cannibalism was not exactly appropriate subject matter for….

"Can I have a popsicle now?"

Brennan looked from her daughter then back to the scattered peas on her plate and realized that the more global issues would have to take a back seat to more immediate concerns. An idea slowly began to form…a way to use Cee Cee logic to her own advantage.

"So, Cee Cee, I want to make sure I understand…if your Dad had said you were a….pretty carrot, you wouldn't be able to eat carrots, right?"

Cee Cee hesitated for a second, wondering if there was a trap in her mother's question.

"Mm-hmm…but I don't think he would do that."

"Okay. Well….what about 'Mack"….like mac'n'cheese? Then you couldn't eat that."

This time, Cee Cee was a little slower to respond. She really, really liked macaroni and cheese, but if it meant not eating veggies anymore….

"Nooooo…..I guess…"

Brennan watched her daughter reach out, idly fidgeting with the spoon next to her plate. Sensing that she was getting close to a minor victory, she pressed on.

"And…oh goodness, Cee Cee….what if one day he said you were sweet as an ice cream cone. I guess that will mean no more Chunky Monkey for…."

The little girl's forehead creased and then her brown eyes grew wide with alarm. With amazing speed, she picked up her spoon and scooped a few peas from the plate. Then, the spoon stopped halfway to her mouth and she turned to look at her mother.

"Mama….you are really smart."

"Um, yeah, Cee Cee…." But as she watched her daughter make short work of the remaining peas and then slide from her chair, Brennan couldn't help but wonder if her intelligence was going to be enough to get through this spell.

Because there was still a conversation to be had about not discussing cannibalism at the dinner table.

And tomorrow….tomorrow spinach was on the menu.

Brennan placed a glass of cold milk next to the plate of food that he was practically inhaling, and sat in the chair next to his. Booth reached for the glass, taking a long swallow before speaking.

"Mm…thanks. This really hits the spot."

"I think I probably overdid it with the microwave."

"No, no…it's fine. I promise. And sorry that I was so late tonight."

"Tough day?"

He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. She couldn't help but notice how tired he looked.

"Well, let's just say that since taking over for Cullen, I have a whole new appreciation for the man…god, the things we put him through…"

"We?"

"Yeah. I do seem to remember you being around an awful lot when that little vein in his forehead would start to…"

"Couldn't have been me. Cullen and I were like this…." She held up her hand, with two fingers crossed.

"Are we talking about the same…"

She sighed heavily.

"It was a joke, Booth. Now eat your peas."

He looked down at the small mound of peas that he had been hoping she wouldn't notice.

"Do I have to?"

She crossed her arms across her chest, giving him her best mommy look.

"Yes. You do. How else am I supposed to convince our daughter to…"

"Alright, alright."

He reluctantly scooped up a spoonful of peas, and then paused.

"So…I'm guessing that Cee Cee gave you some grief tonight?"

"We worked it out. Eventually. But do me a favor…no more food-based nicknames for awhile, okay?"

"What? Okay…you are going to have to explain that one."

She hesitated before launching into an explanation involving camnibals and Chunky Monkey, expecting him to be apoplectic at the latest squint-like episode. She was surprised by how calm he was; he seemed more concerned with getting past the taste of reheated green peas.

"I have to say…you seem to be taking this rather well."

"Well, she is her mother's daughter."

"Yes, that is generally the way it works."

"You know what I mean."

"No…no I'm not sure that I do."

"Let's just say that I'm coming to terms with her wanting to be a squint. If it makes her happy then…"

"Booth…she's a little girl…next week it could be a ballerina…or a doctor…or a…."

"I know. It's just that…I guess that I remember how Parker always wanted to hear about catching the bad guys. All this stuff with bugs…I don't know how….I don't know bugs, Temperance."

She stood up , hands on her hips and looked at him.

"Come with me. There's something you need to see."

"What? I don't have to finish my peas now?"

She narrowed her eyes, pulling out yet another mommy look from her repertoire.

He immediately stood up and followed her out of the room.

They quietly made their way into Cee Cee's room, finding their way through the maze of toys and books using the glow from the butterfly nightlight near her dresser. Neither said a word as they stood over the bed, watching their daughter sleep.

Then Brennan turned to him and whispered.

"Definitely her father's daughter."

She placed a hand on his shoulder and then quietly exited the room.

His eyes followed her and then turned back to Cee Cee, taking in the green plastic water gun that she clutched in one hand. The blue, purple and pink stripes of the socks that covered her tiny feet. He bent over, gently pulling up the blanket that she had managed to kick off. As he carefully tucked her back in, he noticed a mark on the inside of her wrist. At first, he wasn't sure what to make of it, but couldn't keep the smile from his face when he finally figured it out. She had used a green marker in attempt to duplicate the tattoo on the inside of his own wrist.

Brushing back the curls from her forehead, he leaned forward to place a goodnight kiss on her forehead. Then, after taking a last look, and secure in the knowledge that she was still Daddy's little girl, he started to walk from the room.

"Daddy?"

He turned back and found Cee Cee sitting up in the bed, rubbing the back of one hand over sleepy eyes.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Didja catch a bad guy today?"

"Yeah, honey. We got him. Now go back to sleep."

" 'kay."

Booth started to close the door, when he heard a whisper behind him.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, Cee Cee?"

"Love you."

"Me too, baby. Me too."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks to everybody for reading and for the sweet reviews for Celia Joy. This chapter is the last of Miss Cee Cee's adventures in the lab (for now, anyway!). After this one, she'll be spending a little more time with Booth, Brennan and Parker...but I just couldn't leave out Mister-Doctor Goodman. Sincerely hope you enjoy! -AnaG**

**And Cee Cee says this one is for 'Darla', 'Sunny', 'Miss Billie the Fairy Lady'...and all the rest of the gang at Cupcakes and Conversations. She truly wouldn't be the same without you...**

* * *

The little girl made her way methodically around the open lab space, looking under tables, peering into the shadowed spaces behind the big machines, opening the few unlocked cabinet doors. 

Eventually, she halted her search and pushed her hands into the front pockets of her pint-sized lab coat. Standing in one corner, her eyes scanned the room section by section, a tiny crease forming on her forehead. She was trying to do what her mother had taught her. When you have a big problem, you turn it into small problems that you can fix one at a time. That way no problem was too big even for a little girl. But Cee-Cee was beginning to worry that she had a too big problem.

She was so intent on her examination of the room that she did not hear the footsteps approaching behind her.

"Miss Booth?"

Her eyes widened as she recognized the authoritative voice. She turned and slowly looked up, a tentative smile on her face.

"Hi, Mister-Doctor Goodman."

"Is there something that I can help you find, Celia?"

"Um…". Cee-Cee rocked back and forth on the heels of her pink cowboy boots, unsure of what to say. She really could use his help, but she was not sure exactly how much she could tell him without….

The hesitation triggered his own father-radar, well-honed after the years spent with his own two daughters. He waited, knowing that sometimes silence could work wonders when trying to draw out secrets from precocious little girls.

"Weelllll, see…I think….I think I lost Zachaddy."

Caught somewhere between amusement and surprise, Goodman didn't have a chance to respond before Cee-Cee's words began to tumble out one after the other.

"We were playing hide 'nd seek again and Zachaddy was hidin' this time and I'm supposed to find him but I can't and he's gonna think I forgot all about him like his brothers did and that would make him sad because I promised. I promised Mister-Doctor Goodman that I wouldn't ever ever for…."

When she finally paused to take a much needed breath, Goodman seized the opportunity to speak.

"Celia. Dr. Addy is fine. In fact, this explains why I found him standing behind the mass spectrometer instead of examining the specimens from…."

He paused as he noticed the little girl suddenly intently studying the pattern in the lineoleum.

"Celia?"

"I'm sorry."

Troubled by the sad note in the little girl's whispered apology, Goodman kneeled down in front of her.

"Now what on earth do have to be sorry for?'

She looked up, tears welling her soft brown eyes.

"Cause we was playin' and Zachaddy was supposed to be workin' and he was behind the big machine and Mama says those aren't toys and I didn't mean to get him in trouble…"

"Oh, sweetheart. Dr. Addy isn't in trouble."

"He's not?" Hope grew in her eyes as she sniffled back the impending tears.

"No, he's not. I promise. In fact, right now he is working on a special project for me.'

"Oh. Okay."

Worries gone, the little girl immediately returned to her usual curious state.

"Can I get to help on a special proj-ect too?

Mister-Doctor Goodman could help but smile as he saw the familiar expression of a certain forensic anthropologist cross the little girl's face.

xxxxxxxx

He was focused on the next quarter's budget for the research division when he heard a heavy sigh from the other side of his desk. He looked up to find a pair of brown eyes staring at him over the edge of the dark wood surface.

"Yes, Celia?"

"Being a 'ministrader isn't very fun."

He started to respond, but stopped before the words formed. Lost in thought, he didn't notice that Cee-Cee had made her away around to his side of the desk until he felt a small hand resting on his own.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Oh, Celia. You didn't. In fact, I was thinking that you were right."

"You mean you don't like bein' a 'ministrader?"

Goodman didn't speak, still surprised by what he had revealed to the little girl and to himself.

"Then whyda do it then?"

"Well…I get to work with interesting people…like your mother and father for example."

"Mmm-hmmm. And Zachaddy and Hodgie and Auntie Angie…."

"Yes. That is true…"

Cee-Cee continued on, suddenly sure that she knew what the problem was. And how she could make it better.

"Maybe…..maybe you just need to 'member how to do funner things too…"

"Funner things?"

"Un-huh, like playin' games and lookin' at bugs and…."

There were a million things that he had to do, important deadlines he had to meet, but as he listened to Cee-Cee's list of 'funner' things, he couldn't help but think…..

xxxxxxxx

Brennan hurried in the direction of Dr. Goodman's office with more than a little concern. Zach had offered to keep an eye on Cee-Cee while she and Booth had gone to interrogate a new suspect in the case….and the next thing she knew there was a message on her cell phone from Dr. Goodman's administrative assistant saying that Cee Cee was at his office. She could only imagine what her inquisitive and apparently fearless daughter had managed to stir up this time.

When she reached his office, she took a deep breath and knocked. Without waiting for a response, she pushed open the wooden door and crossed the threshold, apologies for any inconvenience already forming in her mouth.

But the sight before her robbed her of the ability to speak. Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't this.

Cee-Cee stood on one of the high backed antique chairs, her shoulders draped with a colorful square of fabric and what Brennan hoped was a reproduction Iron Age helmet covering her curls. In one hand, she held a bright yellow yard stick and in the other a large square of cardboard that looked suspiciously like the back of a desk calendar.

Overcoming her surprise, she rushed to her daughter and began removing the items.

"Celia Joy Booth, what are you doing with…."

Cee-Cee knew it was bad when Mama used ALL of her names, but she tried to explain that it wasn't a bad thing at all…

"But Mama…I'm an Iron Age warr-ior and…."

"As am I, Dr. Brennan."

She turned to find Dr. Goodman peering at her from his hiding place behind the desk, an upturned bowl covering his head and ruler of his own in his hand. Her mouth opened and closed as she watched the normally straight-laced man stand up and straighten his 'helmet' with a broad smile on his face.

"Oh…don't looked so shocked. Celia here was just teaching me how to…what was the word, sweetheart?"

"Funner. I was teachin' him to be more funner, Mama."

Brennan looked from the pride on her daughter's face to the smile on Goodman's, and could not help but smile herself.

"Well…it certainly looks like you did a good job, Cee-Cee. But now I'm afraid that we need to get home, Daddy is waiting on us in the car."

At the mention of her daddy, Cee-Cee quickly began to remove her makeshift costume and carefully stack the items on the corner of the desk. The grown-ups talked about grown-up things and said their thank you's and goodbyes. Then her mother took her by the hand and they began to walk out of the office.

As they reached the door, the little girl suddenly turned and waved back at the man still standing behind his desk in his warrior costume with a smile in his eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading and for the feedback. You all are simply amazing. And here we go, the next chapter of Cee Cee! Our girl is having a tough day, but somehow, I think there is someone that is going to make it all better! Hope you enjoy!- AnaG

* * *

**Cee Cee grabbed one of the chains in each hand and sat on the black rubber swing with a sigh big enough to ruffle the curls hanging over her downturned face. Her teacher, Miss Jessy, had been trying all morning to make her laugh or play with the other kids, but she just didn't feel like it. Cee Cee felt like she was going to be sad for a really long time.

Mama had gone away to talk about her book to a buncha people. It was so the people would want to buy a lot of her books. Cee Cee knew that that was a very good thing, but she thought it was a better to have Mama at home.

Plus, Parker was still at the big kid camp. She wanted to go to camp too, cause Parker said he was gonna get to stay in the woods and Cee Cee just knew that there was a whole lot of bugs to see in the woods. But mostly, she was sad cause when she said "Marco" he wasn't there to say "Polo" back. That made her tummy feel funny and she didn't like that at all.

She trailed the toe of her pink cowboy boot in the loose sand beneath the swing, letting out another heavy breath as she watched an ant crawl into the marks she had made in the dirt. She was too sad for the bug make her smile.

But Cee Cee wasn't so unhappy that she didn't hear the familiar sound of a big car pulling into the parking lot. She quickly lifted her head, brown eyes scanning the nearby spaces. When she saw the black SUV, she wanted to smile because it looked just like her Daddy's car. But it couldn't be him. Miss Jessy hadn't given them apple slices for afternoon snack and it wasn't time to go home until after snack time.

She looked at the ant in the dirt near her boot. Maybe she could make a wish on the ant like you made a wish on a star. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and made a wish that her daddy quit work and come pick her up real soon.

"Hey there, sweetpea…"

Gasping in surprise, she opened her eyes and looked at the man kneeling in front of her.

"Daddy? Is that really you?"

Cee Cee couldn't wait for him to answer. She flew from the swing and wrapped her arms around his neck. As soon as she heard the sound of his laugh, she knew for sure it was her daddy.

It took a long time for them to leave school. Her daddy talked to Miss Jessy to make sure she had been a good girl. They looked at the picture she had made during art time and then she got to pick out a book to take home. But fin-al-ly, they got to go.

Her daddy carried her to the car. She knew she was getting to be too big for him to do that. But her daddy was strong, and she had really, really missed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him the biggest hug she could.

"Daddy, I knew you would come and get me. I just knew it!"

"Well, you know I love my sweetpea…"

"Un-huh. Cause I love you too…and cause I wished on an ant. Like wishin' on a star but better cause it came true real fast!"

Smiling, Booth paused to balance Cee Cee's weight on his hip as he searched for his keys.

"An ant, hm?"

"Yep. A big black one! I saw him and closed my eyes and wished extra, extra hard that…"

Cee Cee was so excited that she kept talking and talking even when her daddy fastened her into the car seat in the back. Most of the time she didn't like that, she wanted to sit in the grownup seats in the front so she could see everything better. But this time is was okay.

"…and then there you were, Daddy!"

"That was an awesome wish then, baby."

"Un-huh….Daddy?"

"Yeah, sweetpea?"

"You think maybe if I wish on a red ant instead of black one that Mama and Parker will come home soon too?"

Cee Cee watched his face very carefully. This was really important and she knew her Daddy would know how to find out the answers.

"You miss them a lot don't you, baby?"

Cee Cee could only move her head up and down, afraid she would cry if she tried to talk. She didn't want her daddy to think she wasn't being a big girl.

"Well, I know for a fact that your Mom misses you too. A whole lot. We can call her on the phone when we get home. And, she is going to be back in two days…"

"This many, Daddy?"

She held up three fingers, thinking that it was going to be a long time. But then he gently curled one of her fingers down.

"Nope. Only this many, and…."

Cee Cee started to feel better. Maybe it would be quicker than she thought.

"…Parker will be back the next day."

"Really, Daddy?"

"Promise."

She felt better now. Her daddy never made a promise unless it was true.

"Okay."

"But tonight…it's just the two of us. The prettiest sweetpea and…."

"And her prettiest Daddy!"

"And her Daddy thinks they we need some supplies…"

"S'pplies? You mean we get to go shoppin'?"

"Mm-hm. Just you and me, kiddo."

"Yay!"

Cee Cee's was so excited she wanted to jump out of her seat. She loved going shopping, especially with Daddy. But there was just one important thing that she had to make sure of first. She looked at him with her most serious look.

"But no vegetables. Right, Daddy?"

Relieved to see that his baby girl was back to her usual self, Booth decided that just this once he would risk deviating from the strict instructions that Temperance had left behind.

"No way. Not a green bean, no spinach, no…."

"And no peas!"

"And no peas."

"Oh, Daddy. I love you."

"Love you too, baby."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks once again for reading and for the reviews-every single one is truly appreciated. For this next installment, I've played around with the timeline a little bit. Brennan is home from her book tour just in time for the next Cee Cee adventure. And this is a little longer than the usual Cee Cee chapter, but I've never been able to bring myself to break it up. It's always felt like it belongs together. With all of that said...I do hope that enjoy! AnaG**

**

* * *

**With a final adjustment to a sparkly, purple butterfly barrette, and the last pigtail….tenner….in place, Brennan stepped back to take in the total effect of her daughter's chosen ensemble. 

A bright orange t-shirt paired with green shorts with ladybugs embroidered over the pockets. The pink cowboy boots had been non-negotiable, as had the yellow happy face socks peeking over their tops. The entire outfit was completed by the little blue lab coat that Cee Cee had insisted on wearing.

All of the books….and Angela….had said that this sort of thing was perfectly normal for children her age. Something about developing individual personality and encouraging creative interaction with the world. But she could not help but wonder if this was really a good thing.

"Celia, are you sure about this?"

Cee Cee nodded her head, pigtails bouncing to emphasize her point, as she smoothed down her t-shirt.

"Mm-hm, Mama. I wanna wear the big colors so Parker'll see us right away."

"I see. Well, I certainly think that this will work."

"Good.' Cee Cee reached for her mama's hand and began to lead her from the room. "Now, let's go get my brother…."

xxxxx

Brennan pulled into the packed-dirt parking lot, her eyes darting to the rearview mirror when she heard a suspicious click from the back seat.

"Celia, don't unbuckle until…"

"I know, Mama….until we are all the way stopped."

Brennan shook her head and hid a smile when she heard the heavy sigh from the backseat. Patience wasn't always considered a virtue in the Brennan-Booth household.

She finally located a parking space between the crowd of mini-vans, SUVs and station wagons. By the time she gathered her purse and stepped out of the car, Cee Cee had already freed herself from the confines of her car seat and was waiting for her to open the child-proof lock on the back door. When the door finally opened, the little girl practically flew out of the car, pausing only to reach for her mother's hand as she chattered away.

The pair made their way across the lot and through the open gates to the common area. Both stopped short at the chaos that greeted them. Kids and parents milled around, weaving around clusters of backpacks, duffel bags and trunks scattered over the ground, while harried camp counselors tried in vain to rein them all in.

"Mama, how're we gonna find our Parker?"

"Don't worry, I am sure we can find him. Or he'll see your big colors, right?"

"That's right! I forgot. The big colors'll work."

Brennan looked up from the relieved look on her daughter's face, her eyes immediately falling on a familiar figure. Parker stood a few yards away, talking to a girl his own age. She was taken by surprise to see how much he had changed in the few weeks since she had seen him. His hair was a little longer, skin tanned by the sun. But there was something else too. She watched as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans, scuffed a shoe against a clump of grass as he quickly looked at the girl and then away again. Her eyes traveled to the girl, observing the way that she fidgeted with the end of her long ponytail and then reached out to put a hand on Parker's arm and smiled shyly. Brennan's eyes narrowed. Typical preening behavior, flirtation. But wasn't he too young for that? Her mind flashed back to the little boy placing a paper crown on her head, the one that got excited over a frog on a sidewalk and chasing imaginary pirates. She knew he was getting older, but she wasn't ready for….

"Parker! Marco! Marco! Marco!"

She was startled from her thoughts by Cee Cee's shout of delight and the feel of the little hand slipping from hers. Focus immediately returning, she hurried after her daughter, who was already running toward her brother. By the time that she caught up, Cee Cee had already wrapped her arms around her brother's legs, tightly squeezing as she talked a mile a minute.

"….missed you sooo much playing tea party isn't as much fun without you and I'm not as good at pirates as you are cause Barnabus keeps gettin' away and you shoulda seeeeen the new bugs Hodgie got at the lab and I almost lost Zachaddy…."

Brennan noticed Parker's face turning a deep shade of red as he glanced nervously from the little girl looking at him with hero worship on her face to the older girl standing at his side. When he looked at her beseechingly, she nodded once and managed to gently pry Cee Cee away.

"Celia, let's give Parker a chance to say goodbye to his friend."

Surprised to find that there was another person in the vicinity, Cee Cee looked at the other girl standing very close to her brother. Eyes narrowing, she crossed her arms over her chest as the girl waggled her fingers in Cee Cee's direction. She immediately looked back at her brother.

"Why dinnit you say Polo back, Parker? I say Marco and you say Polo. Marco Polo. That's our deal. 'member?"

"Umm…'

"Celia….'

Both Parker and Brennan were almost saved as the other girl spoke.

"Marco Polo? Isn't that a little kid's pool game?"

The girl's giggle sent Cee Cee marching towards the girl, hands on her hips.

"It's our secret code. And yoooou don't get to know it. So there!"

"Boooones! Make her stop."

"Parker, she's just…"

"Please?"

Torn between the plea from Parker and the confusion in Cee Cee's eyes, she finally came up with a compromise. Maybe it would give her a chance to explain.

"Celia. Let's give Parker a chance to say goodbye to his friend. We can take some of his things to the car…"

Still suspicious over this new presence in her brother's life, Cee Cee shook her head.

"I don't wanna."

After whispered negotiations and promises that they would be home soon, she was finally able to convince Cee Cee to walk back towards the car. After a couple trips, the backpack and duffle were carefully stowed in the trunk, and a reluctant Parker had said his goodbyes. They were all walking back to the car, a reinvigorated Cee Cee chasing a now sullen Parker with an endless series of questions.

"Who was that girl? Did she go to camp too? Is she your girrrrlfriend?"

Still caught up in the perceived humiliation of having tea parties and pirates games revealed at the worse possible moment, Parker turned to his sister.

"No. Yes. No. Probably never thanks to you and your crazy stories."

"Parker!"

"Sorry, Bones. I just….nevermind."

Parker stomped off ahead of them, the tears welling in Cee-Cee's eyes causing a confusing tug of guilt in his chest.

xxxxxx

Sitting silently in her car seat, Cee Cee couldn't take her eyes off of her pretty pink cowboy boots, but she really didn't see them. Parker was mad at her. Mama had made him say sorry, but Cee Cee knew he didn't really mean it. She could tell cause he still wouldn't talk to her even though she tried. She didn't know what she had done wrong. She had been really, really happy to see him after all this long time and wanted him to know so he wouldn't go away from her for so long anymore. So she had tried to tell him about all the reasons she missed him. But that girl had been there. She knew for sure she didn't like that girl. She was a big girl and what if Parker liked his friend better than he liked her? She was just a little girl and didn't like video games and hockey and football and stuff like Parker did. _And _her ponytail was long and really pretty. She probably didn't have to have her mama help her make it either. Cee Cee didn't like the idea that someone else would be specialer than her to Parker. It wasn't fair. Plus that girl had laughed at Marco Polo. That had made Cee Cee really mad.

She sighed heavily. Being mad hadn't made it any better. Cause Parker still hadn't said Polo back to her.

xxxxx

Cee Cee walked down the hallway on her tippy-toes, carefully holding a large square of paper in both hands. She had made her brother a picture to show him that she was sorry she had talked about the tea party in front of his friend. Mama had explained it all to her. She had used a lot of big words that Cee Cee didn't understand, but some of the words did. But mostly, she just didn't like her brother being mad at her. So she made him a present. Presents always made her feel better.

She was close to Parker's room and ready to surprise him, when she heard his voice on the other side. She started to turn away because her daddy had told her it was not nice to eardrop on somebody's per-son-al talks. Then she heard him say her name. It had to be okay to listen if he was talking about her.

"….crazy clothes with that didn't match. And her hair in those stupid pigtails that she thinks look like a bug…..

xxxxxx

Parker paced the room, phone to his ear.

"…..it was _so_ embarrassing..."

He paused as his dad said something on the other end of the line.

"…..yeah, Dad, but…."

"I know she's just a little girl…."

"I know I used to play pirates and……but…."

"Really? I'm like her hero? I guess that she wasn't _that_ bad…."

"Yessir. I will…..I promise."

Parker pressed the button to end the call and sat on his bed. When Bones had said that his dad wanted to talk to him, he thought he was gonna be in big trouble. He knew that he had been mean to Cee Cee, but he had been so mad because of what she had said in front of Jenna. He always felt like he was a dork around her and Cee Cee had made it worse. But his dad hadn't yelled or anything. He had just talked real quiet. And somehow, that made Parker feel worse than if he _had_ yelled or grounded him. Instead, he had talked about how much Cee Cee loved him and how she just got carried away because of that and it was wrong to make her feel bad because of it. So, now Parker had to go make it better and say he was sorry for real. Man, this big brother thing was a lot of work. Why couldn't he have a normal sister like everyone else?

He rummaged in his duffel bag for something that he had brought for Cee Cee. With everything that had happened, he had forgotten about it. But maybe this would make everything okay.

As he walked out of the door, he heard the sound of paper crumpling. He looked down to find his shoe resting on a drawing. He picked it up, his heart sinking as he studied the crayon stick figures inside a lopsided heart. The one with pigtails was holding hands with the bigger one with curly brown hair. Both of them had crooked smiles drawn in the middle of their circle faces. Why had she left it on the floor?

He looked from the drawing his sister had left on the floor back to the phone still visible on his bedspread.

_Aw, man. How much had she heard?_

xxxxxx

Parker tapped his knuckles against the open door to Cee Cee's room.

"Marco?"

There was complete silence in response. He looked around the room for Cee Cee. He knew she was in here somewhere, but didn't see her.

"C'mon, Ceec, don't be mad."

He heard a sniffle and then spotted the edge of a pink cowboy boot peeking from beneath the white bed ruffle. He walked over and kneeled on the other side of the bed, placing the jar he'd been holding on the floor next to him.

"Marco?"

When there was no answer, he took a deep breath and lifted the white fabric and found a tear-stained face staring back at him.

"Go 'way, Parker. I'm bein' sad"

"Ohh-kay, then. I guess you don't want the surprise I brought for you."

"A surprise? For me?"

"Mm-hm. It's very cool, too."

"But you don't like me. I heard. I 'mbarrass you."

"Ah, man. Cee, you don't embarrass me. It's just that…"

Parker sat down on the floor, resting his back against the bed as he tried to figure out the words to explain how it was. He wasn't sure _he_ knew.

"It's just that I'm a big kid now. And sometimes it is hard for big kids to know what to say around little kids. Especially when other big kids are around. We can say stupid stuff."

"Yeah, you can."

"Hey, ….you didn't have to agree with me."

"Un-huh. Mama and Daddy say to always tell the truth."

"But…" Parker took a deep breath, trying to remember the other things his father had told him.

"Oh-kay. It was dumb. And since we are supposed to tell the truth….you are pretty cool for a little sister. At least you don't pick your nose like Cody's little brother…"

"Ewww. That's gross, Parker."

"Yeah, it is. And you know what else?"

"What?"

"I really missed you while I was gone."

"You did?"

"Yep. Sooo….are you gonna come out now and see your surprise?"

Parker waited a second, worried when she didn't appear. Then suddenly, she was sliding from beneath the bed, a big smile on her face as she turned to him.

"What is it?"

"Here." He picked up the jar and placed it in her hands.

She turned, confused by the logo on the lid and the label that covered the jar.

"You brought me peanut butter. That's not a good surprise, Parker."

"No, silly. Look inside.' He carefully unscrewed the lid and tilted the jar for her to peek inside.

He smiled as her eyes widened in delight.

"Beeeetles! You brought me beeeetles!"

"Shhhhh. You are gonna scare 'em to…."

His words were cut off as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, hugging him with all of her might before placing a kiss on his cheek.

"You are the bestest brother in the whole en-tire world!"

She finally released him, eager to get back to watching her 'presents' scurry over the grass and twigs he had placed in the jar. As he listened to her try to name them all, he couldn't help but smile.

She might be a pain in the neck sometimes, but still….there wasn't another little sister like her in the world. He guessed that made him pretty lucky.

"Gonzo. Cinderella. Joe. Yep, he looks like a Joe…."

"Hey, Ceec?"

"Yeah, Parker?" Cee Cee responded without looking up from the insects.

"Marco."

She sighed heavily.

"That's _my_ part."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is!"

"Fine then. Go ahead.'

"Marco.'

"Polo."

Brennan watched them unseen from the open doorway, smiling at the two heads bent over the open jar of insect specimens. Things had gotten off to a rocky start today, and she was sure that there would be more bumps along the road as they continued to grow up. But for now at least, they were back on track.

"Parker?"

"Yeah, Cee-Cee?"

"Love you."

"Love you back."


End file.
